Macdara has lately been struck by a softening of the aggressive neo-unionism of the Irish Times. On a recent podcast (which he had avoided listening to for a month), he kept on expecting some of the standard inanities or insanities of the Partionist mindset to surface. In fact, it was all quite reasonable, even with some of the anti-Republican ghouls present. They referred to Re-unification, thereby conceding that Ireland was a single entity before the sudden invention of “northern” Ireland; they made fun of the Irish Times style guide mandating use of the Colonial name for the Good Friday Agreement (viz. the Belfast Agreement; the settlers didn’t even want to use the same name for the document as the natives they despise, so the Irish Times followed suit, in order not to appear disrespectful towards the Invaders).
What is happening?
The paper—perhaps as a result of the research it has co-commissioned into attitudes towards Unification, which has demonstrated that the end of Imperialism in our country is approaching—has decided on a new line: it is encouraging the Partionist Party to develop a policy for Reunification.
Why is it doing this?
They certainly want to outflank Sinn Féin by having a policy, removing any points that might accrue to the organised Republican movement for having imagined unification well in advance and prepared for it. But Macdara surmises that the paper wants there to be a properly Partionist approach to Reunification so as to bring about the least disruptive unification possible: this will be Unity as Non-event, no noticeable difference from the current dysfunction. They want to signal to the Unionists (who are not paying attention) that they are reasonable people who will give them a good deal. They will push for a Belfast administration separate from the Dublin Government, building settler colonialist supremacy into the new dispensation; they will sign us up to the War Party—a striking amount of the episode was given over to the factoid that Irish people are more anti-Commonwealth than anti-Nato—and any other policy positions that the Establishment wishes to push. This is an opportunity to rewrite the Constitution (in English, no doubt), in a way that suits the nastiest people in both parts of the country.
In the meantime there is also the opportunity to introduce new Absurdities into the conversation, such as a permanent coalition arrangement: settlers in every government, vetoing all progress; a state of permanent Paralysis! The Irish Times will pursue any and every possible line: compulsory Protestant Presidents, et cetera. And if any of this scares off the citizens who will be voting…so much the better!
There is a realignment underway, and it will be very strange to see. As Reunification becomes inevitable, there will be a squabble amongst the Partionist elites to be the person who delivers a United Ireland: we can all recall how the Partionist Party became vocal and very able supporters of Same-Sex Marriage and Reproductive Rights as soon as it became clear that these were winning propositions. But do not worry, the Irish Times will still allow its pigsty full use of the weaponry of anti-nationalism. And if that seems like a mixed metaphor, get ready for the unhinged writing of the West Brit set over the next few years. Expect the word atavism to feature heavily.